The Fictional Woman by Tara Moss

The Fictional WomanThe Fictional Woman by Tara Moss
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It is fitting that I finished reading this book on Australia Day when only 30% of the honours went to women. Moss’ first non-fiction book combines memoir with a discussion of the female stereotypes which limit women’s full participation in society by creating social norms that many people do not question especially if they are white males who benefit from the status quo. Each chapter deals with a particular idea of women, shows how this has manifested in Moss’ own life and gives a critique of how the idea limits not just women but society as a whole.

This is a very readable book. Moss’ personal stories give a human interest to her well-researched treatise. Occasionally she does labour the point about being more than a model but one can well-understand that as an issue she has had to deal with for so long it is one she still feels strongly about. Her discussion of the hidden issue of miscarriage struck a particular chord with me. I think that the discussion of gendered toys could have been broader. Why is it that toys are more gendered now than they were twenty years ago? Overall a timely and thought-provoking book worth reading by a wide audience.

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